How to Teach at a Cooking School

If you're a cook, a baker or a culinary professional and you want to share your skills with others, you may want to teach at a cooking school in your area. Training future industry professionals in the culinary field can be a very rewarding experience.

Things You'll Need

• A culinary degree
• Patience
• Contacts in the professional culinary/hospitality industry

Instructions

1. Obtain your culinary degrees. You will need to have a Bachelor's degree in culinary arts and (usually) a Master's degree in order to teach. Some of these degree programs can be completed online.

2. Get at least three to five years of work experience. You'll need a strong skill set and working knowledge of the field in order to teach, and three to five years of experience is the bare minimum you'll need to become a cooking teacher or instructor.

3. Stay current with the latest industry news and trends. Take the time to review magazines, press releases and literature to share with your prospective class. Consider taking classes to advance your knowledge even further.

4. Develop a sample lesson plan. Some schools and employers will request a sample lesson plan or general outline of what you expect to teach. Take the time to research various culinary subjects and come up with a cohesive plan for your lessons.

5. Prepare your resume. Your resume needs to include any prior teaching experience, your cooking skills, your work history and an objective statement that explains why you are interested in teaching.

6. Create a list of references. You'll need at least three quality references that can support your work history and teaching experience. Turn to culinary colleagues and supervisors who can speak highly about your skills and experience.

7. Submit a formal application to the cooking school. Each cooking school in the country has a different process for accepting instructor applications. Search online for the details and submit a completed application along with your resume and references.

8. Follow up on your application after submitting it to the cooking school. Call or email the human resources department to ensure that they received all of your application materials. You'll also be able to find out where your application process stands.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider taking classes online for your own enrichment and knowledge while working and teaching.

References

• Cooking Schools: Careers and Job Guide